Method for providing customized button mapping pre-sets

ABSTRACT

Buttons on the add-on may be mapped to controller buttons using customized button mapping pre-sets. A button mapping may indicate that a selected preset is to be hidden during a switching operation Upon receiving a switching operation input, the selected pre-set is skipped during the switching operation.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

Aspects of the present disclosure are related to game controllers.Specifically aspects of the present disclosure are related to gamecontroller add-ons.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is related to co-pending U.S. patent application Ser.No. ______, to Glenn Black, Tomas Bruckbock, and Arthur Kwun entitled“CONTROLLER ADD-ON DEVICE WITH CUSTOMIZABLE PRESETS” (Attorney DocketNumber SCEA19016US00), filed the same day as the present application,the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

This application is related to co-pending U.S. patent application Ser.No. ______, to Glenn Black, Tomas Bruckbock, and Arthur Kwun entitled“CUSTOMIZABLE CONTROLLER ADD-ON SYSTEM” (Attorney Docket NumberSCEA19038US00), filed the same day as the present application, theentire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

This application is related to co-pending U.S. Design patent applicationSer. No. ______ to So Morimoto and Arthur Kwun entitled “CONTROLLERADD-ON DEVICE” (Attorney Docket number SCEA19052US00), filed the sameday as the present application, the entire contents of which areincorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Current game controllers have many buttons that are assigned functionsby an application running on a computer or a video game console.Additionally, current game controllers have multiple types of buttonsthat operate in various different ways to better match the role to whichthey are assigned by the application. For example, a controller may havejoysticks, a directional pad (d-pad), shoulder buttons, touch screens,and action buttons. Despite a heavy emphasis on ergonomic design, anumber of buttons on the game controller may be out of reach for theaverage hand while using certain functions.

Thus, there is a need in the art, for a way to add more buttons to agame controller that are within the reach of the user while usingcertain functions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The teachings of the present disclosure can be readily understood byconsidering the following detailed description in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a bottom view diagram of a controller add-on device accordingto an aspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a front view diagram of a controller add-on device accordingto an aspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a right side view diagram of a controller add-on deviceaccording to an aspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a top view diagram of a controller add-on device according toan aspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a back view diagram of a controller add-on device according toan aspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 is a left side view diagram of a controller add-on device mountedto a controller according to an aspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 is a three-dimensional diagram of a controller add-on deviceaccording to an aspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 8 is a bottom view diagram of a controller add-on device mounted toa controller according to an aspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram of a method for entering button mappingpresets according to an aspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram of a method for switching mapped buttonpresets according to an aspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 11 is a block system diagram of a controller add-on deviceconnected to a computing system according to an aspect of the presentdisclosure.

DESCRIPTION OF THE SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS

Although the following detailed description contains many specificdetails for the purposes of illustration, anyone of ordinary skill inthe art will appreciate that many variations and alterations to thefollowing details are within the scope of the invention. Accordingly,the exemplary embodiments of the invention described below are set forthwithout any loss of generality to, and without imposing limitationsupon, the claimed invention.

In the following Detailed Description, reference is made to theaccompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and in which is shownby way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention maybe practiced. In this regard, directional terminology, such as “top,”“bottom,” “front,” “back,” “leading,” “trailing,” etc., is used withreference to the orientation of the figure(s) being described. Becausecomponents of embodiments of the present invention can be positioned ina number of different orientations, the directional terminology is usedfor purposes of illustration and is in no way limiting. It is to beunderstood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural orlogical changes may be made without departing from the scope of thepresent invention. The following detailed description, therefore, is notto be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present inventionis defined by the appended claims.

Device

The present disclosure describes a controller add-on device configuredto add additional customizable buttons to a controller. FIG. 1 depicts abottom view of the controller add-on device. The controller add-ondevice comprises a housing 101 which is configured to couple tomechanically connect to the body of a controller. The housing alsoserves as a rigid attachment point for a plurality of buttons. Shown inFIG. 1 the add-on device comprises a right customizable button 102 and aleft customizable button 103 but the scope of the present disclosure isnot so limited. The plurality buttons 102, 103 are configured to bewithin reach of a user's index, middle or ring fingers while holding thebody of the game controller.

In some embodiments a portion of the housing 101 that includes thecustomizable buttons 102, 103 may be coupled to the housing by way of ahinged controller interface 201, seen in FIG. 2. Alternatively, thecustomizable buttons may be mechanically connected to the housing by wayof attachment to a switch mounted to a printed circuit board, theprinted circuit board coupled to the housing by, e.g., screws, pins,glue, plastic hot-stakes, clips, or housing elements. In someembodiments, the controller add-on may have a display screen 105. Thedisplay screen 105 may be coupled to the housing by way of rigidattachment means. The display screen may be associated with, e.g.,mechanically incorporated into, an input interface, e.g., a mechanicalbutton. Additionally the display screen may include user interfaceelements as touch screen, such as a capacitive touch screen or aresistive touch screen. In implementations where add-on includes thedisplay screen 105 and the buttons 102 103 and the input interface maybe configured to be within reach of a user's index, middle or ringfingers while holding the body of the game controller. In someimplementations, the input interface and/or buttons may be within reachof the user's thumbs, as well.

In other embodiments, display screen may be replaced by othercommunication elements such as a speaker connected to a printed circuitboard attached to the housing by rigid attachment means. In alternativeembodiments the user interface may feature a plurality of lights. Inadditional embodiments the user interface may comprise both a displayscreen and a speaker. In some embodiments the display screen isconnected to a printed circuit board attached to the housing by rigidattachment means. In other additional embodiments the speaker isattached to the housing by rigid attachment means.

FIG. 2 depicts a front view of the controller add-on device. As shownthe housing 101 provides a cavity, which is configured to fit acontroller body. A controller interface mount 201 is coupled to thehousing 101. The controller interface mount 201 may be rotatably coupledto the housing 101, e.g., by a hinge 104. The controller interface mount201 comprises one or more controller interfaces, e.g., an analoginterface 202 and a digital interface 203. These one or more controllerinterfaces are configured to communicatively couple the controller theplurality of buttons 102, 103 to the controller. Additionally, thecontroller interface mount 201 is configured to tilt with from a firstposition in which the add-on device can make a physical and mechanicalconnection with the body of the game controller to a second position inwhich a portion of the housing 101 conformally contacts the body of agame controller. The one or more controller interfaces may include,e.g., Serial connectors, Universal Serial Bus interfaces (USB), co-axialjack (co-ax), audio jack, S/PDIF connector, parallel connector and thelike. The housing may also have a conformal surface 204 located oppositethe surface having the buttons 102, 103. The conformal surface 204 isconfigured to make conformal contact with a controller body. Theconformal surface may include a pliable material to dampen vibrationfrom button presses as well as to provide a solid contact surface withthe controller body. The pliable material may be any suitable materialsuch as rubber, silicone, soft plastic, leather, and the like.

FIG. 3 depicts a side view of the controller add-on device. As can beseen, the one or more controller interfaces 202, 203 extend outward fromthe housing 101. The housing has a curved portion 301 to better conformto the shape of the controller when mounted. The curved portion 301 inconjunction with the tilting interface mount 201 also allows thecontroller add-on devices to be placed in a first position to makephysical and mechanical connection with the body of the controller,e.g., as depicted in FIG. 6, and then tilted to a second position tomake conformal contact with the body of the game controller, asdepicted, e.g., in FIG. 8. The curved arrow in FIG. 3 indicates thedirection of tilt of the interface mount 201 to go from the secondposition to the first position.

FIG. 4 depicts a back view of the controller add-on device. This viewshows an (optional) communication interface port 401. This communicationinterface port 401 may be used to relay signals from the controller toadditional devices such as headphones or other user interfaces. Thecommunication interface port may also receive signals from devices suchas microphones or other user interfaces and relay those signals back tothe controller. The communication interface port 401 may be of a similartype as the one or more communication interfaces 202, 203.

As seen in the top-down view of the controller add-on device in FIG. 5,one or more communication interfaces 202, 203 may be coupled to thehousing 101 so that the communication interfaces extend outward from thehousing over the conformal surface 204.

FIG. 6 depicts a side view of the orientation of the controller add-ondevice when initially coupled with a controller 501 (indicated by dashedlines). As shown, the tilting interface mount 201 allows the housing 101to be tilted downward relative to the controller 501 when the analoginterface 202 and the digital interface 203 connects to correspondinginterfaces 504 on the controller. In the depicted implementation, thehousing 101 is configured to fit securely between the two handholds 502of the controller and not interfere with the joysticks 503. Afterconnection is made, the tilting interface mount 201 allows the housing101 to tilt upward toward the controller 501 in the direction indicatedby the arrow so that the conformal surface 204 opposite the plurality ofbuttons 102, 103 can make conformal contact with the bottom of thecontroller. The curved arrow in the three-dimensional diagram of acontroller add-on device shown in FIG. 7 indicates the direction ofrelative movement of the tilting interface mount 201 as the devicerotates from the first position in which connection is made to thecontroller and the second position in which the conformal surface 204conforms to the bottom of the controller.

FIG. 8 depicts a bottom view of the controller add-on device whencoupled with a controller in the operational position. As shown, thecontroller add-on device is positioned between the two handholds of thecontrollers and the plurality of buttons 102, 103 on the controlleradd-on device are configured to be within reach of a user's index,middle or ring fingers while holding the body of the game controller.The housing 101 is configured to fit on a side of the controller bodyopposite the two joysticks 503 so that operation of the buttons does notaffect operation of the joysticks. The display screen 105 may beconfigured to face downward and be easily viewed when the controllerbody 503 is turned upside down. This can be advantageous when thedisplay screen has an associated input device, e.g., a button or touchinterface that can be operated by the user. While the depictedembodiment shows a display screen 105 mounted in the downward positionwhen the controller add-on device is couple to the controller body 503,the scope of this disclosure is not so limited. In other embodiments,the display screen may be configured face upward or frontward while thecontroller add-on device is coupled to the controller body.

Operation

The flow diagram of FIG. 9 illustrates a method for pre-set generationwith a controller add-on device according to aspects of the presentdisclosure. The method begins when a pre-set customization entry modeinput is received, as indicated at 901. The pre-set customization entrymode input may be a button press, a combination of button press or aselection using a touch screen. The pre-set customization entry modeallows users to map the plurality of buttons of the controller add-on tothe buttons or inputs of the controller. The pre-set customization modeallows button mappings to be saved as pre-sets and creates the abilityfor the user to easily switch between pre-sets when the controlleradd-on device is not in pre-set customization entry mode. Upon receivingpre-set customization entry, mode input the controller add-on deviceenters the pre-set customization entry mode 902. The user may beginmapping keys by selecting a controller button and choosing a button ofthe plurality buttons 102, 103 of the controller add-on to representthat controller button and provide that button's input when pressed. Thecontroller add-on device receives this mapping from the user, asindicated at 903. The mapping may be performed using a user interfacesuch as an input device incorporated into the display screen 105 or maybe performed using a separate program running on a host device such as agame console or a computer. The button mapping may be created, as apre-set in a list of pre-set, each pre-set in the list of pre-set may beblank before the user creates a button mapping or may be set to adefault button mapping that can be change easily by the user.Alternatively, new button mapping preset may be created by the user andadded to a list of pre-sets that may unpopulated.

Upon creation of a button mapping pre-set the user may select to exitthe pre-set customization entry mode. The user may take the necessaryaction to exit the pre-set customization mode, this action is receivedthe controller add-on device and subsequently the controller add-ondevice exits the pre-set customization entry mode 904. According toaspects of the present disclosure, the user may exit the pre-setcustomization mode by pressing an exit button or entering series ofbutton presses or selection an option within a user interface.Alternatively, the user may exit the pre-set customization mode byrefraining from pressing a button for a period. In some implementations,the exit button may be implemented using an input device, e.g., touchinterface or mechanical button associated with the display screen 105.

After exiting the pre-set customization entry mode, the controlleradd-on device saves the pre-set or presets entered by the user 905. Thepre-set or pre-sets entered by the user may be saved to a list ofpre-sets stored in the memory of the controller add-on device. A veryuseful feature of the present disclosure is that after the pre-setentered by the user to the list of pre-sets the device may hide orotherwise makes un-selectable pre-sets that are empty, invalid or chosento be hidden 906. This allows users to quickly switch between validpre-sets during operation of the controller add-on device, e.g., using abutton or touch interface that can be operated by the user. This mode ofoperation can be advantageous if the display screen and associated inputdevice face away from the user during operation. Reducing the availablemodes to a relatively small number, e.g., two, makes it easy for theuser to toggle between them without having to look at the screen.

FIG. 10 depicts the method for switching between pre-sets according toaspects of the present disclosure. During operation of the controller,add-on device the user may desire to switch between two or moredifferent presets on the preset list. To do this the user may press abutton or a series of button, or make a selection using a touch screen.The controller add-on device receives the pre-set change input from theuser 1001. Subsequently the controller add-on device selects the nextpre-set in the pre-set list and applies that configuration to theplurality buttons 1002. A feature of the present disclosure is where,the next pre-set in the pre-set list is blank, invalid or otherwisehidden, the controller add-on device will skip that pre-set in the listand select the next pre-set instead. Additionally the user interface ofthe controller add-on device will display the selected pre-set 1003.After selection of a button mapping pre-set a button, press by the useron one of the plurality of button 1004 triggers the pre-set buttonmapping. The pre-set button mapping sends a signal corresponding to thesignal of the mapped button in the selected pre-set to the controller1005. This signal is received by the controller, which interprets thesignal as a button press for the mapped button.

By way of example and not by way limitation a pre-set button mapping maymap an X-button of a game pad controller to the left button 102 and aO-button to the right button 103 of the controller add-on. When a userpresses the left button 102 of the controller add-on device, the devicesends a signal to the controller that the X-button has been pressed. Thecontroller interprets this signal as though the X-button on the game padcontroller has been pressed and communicates the X-button press signalto the game console.

As used herein, two objects, devices, or systems are “communicativelycoupled” when information can be transmitted from one object to a secondobject by way of some form of signal. By way of example the signal maybe an electric signal delivered through an electrically conductiveinterface, a mechanical signal delivered through a mechanical interface,an acoustic signal delivered through a sound-transmitting medium, or anelectromagnetic signal such as a radio signal, microwave signal or alight signal, which may be delivered through a medium, such as afiber-optic medium, a waveguide, or through free space. Communicativecoupling encompasses the use of intermediary objects, devices, andsystems such as transducers, transmitters, amplifiers, receivers, andsignal processers, e.g., digital signal processers.

Communicative coupling is a distinct concept from mechanical connection,though the two concepts are not mutually exclusive. As a non-limitingexample, communicative coupling via mechanical interface may between twoobjects be distinguished from mechanical connection of the two objects.For example, an actuating stud on one component may press a button on asecond object when the two objects are connected by means of screws. Thestud-button interaction provides mechanical communicative coupling,while the screws provide mechanical connection.

System

According to embodiments of the present invention, a system with acontroller having a controller add-on device and method of the typedescribed above may be implemented as depicted in FIG. 11. A system 1100may include a processor 1101 and a memory 1102 (e.g., RAM, DRAM, ROM,and the like). In addition, the system 1100 may have multiple processors1101 if parallel processing is to be implemented. The memory 1102includes data 1106 and game program code 1104, which may includeportions that are configured as described above. Specifically, thememory 1102 may include button mapping pre-set data 1106, which mayinclude a stored pre-set list. The memory 1102 may also contain programsfor switching pre-sets and programs for pre-set creation 1104.

The system 1100 may also include well-known support functions 1110, suchas input/output (I/O) elements 1111, power supplies (P/S) 1112, a clock(CLK) 1113 and cache 1114. The apparatus 1100 may optionally include amass storage device 1115 such as a disk drive, CD-ROM drive, tape drive,or the like to store programs and/or data. The controller may alsooptionally include a display unit 1116 and user interface unit 1118 tofacilitate interaction between the controller 1100 and a user. Thedisplay unit 1116 may be in the form of a cathode ray tube (CRT) or flatpanel screen that displays text, numerals, graphical symbols or images.The user interface 1118 may include a keyboard, mouse, joystick, lightpen or other device. In addition, the user interface 1118 may include amicrophone, video camera or other signal-transducing device to providefor direct capture of a signal to be analyzed. The processor 1101,memory 1102 and other components of the system 1100 may exchange signals(e.g., code instructions and data) with each other via a system bus1120.

A microphone array 1122 may be coupled to the system 1100 through theI/O functions 1111. An optional image capture unit 1123 (e.g., a digitalcamera) may be coupled to the apparatus 1100 through the I/O functions1111. One or more pointing actuators 1125 that are mechanically coupledto the camera may exchange signals with the processor 1101 via the I/Ofunctions 1111.

As used herein, the term I/O generally refers to any program, operationor device that transfers data to or from the system 1100 and to or froma peripheral device. Every data transfer may be regarded as an outputfrom one device and an input into another. Peripheral devices includeinput-only devices, such as keyboards and mice, output-only devices,such as printers as well as devices such as a writable CD-ROM that canact as both an input and an output device. The term “peripheral device”includes external devices, such as a mouse, keyboard, printer, monitor,microphone, game controller, camera, external Zip drive or scanner aswell as internal devices, such as a solid state drive (SSD), CD-ROMdrive, CD-R drive or internal modem or other peripheral such as a flashmemory reader/writer, hard drive.

In certain embodiments of the invention, the system 1100 may be a videogame unit, which may include a controller 1130 coupled to the processorvia the I/O functions 1111 either through wires (e.g., a USB cable) orwirelessly. Additionally in other embodiments, the system 1100 may be acomputer system with a peripheral controller 1130. The controller 1130may have analog joystick controls 1131 and conventional buttons 1133that provide control signals commonly used during playing of videogames. Such video games may be implemented as processor readable dataand/or instructions from the program 1104, which may be stored in thememory 1102, or other processor readable medium such as one associatedwith the mass storage device 1015.

The controller 1130 may include one or more inertial sensors 1132, whichmay provide position and/or orientation information to the processor1101 via an inertial signal. Orientation information may include angularinformation such as a tilt, roll or yaw of the controller 1130. By wayof example, the inertial sensors 1132 may include any number and/orcombination of accelerometers, gyroscopes or tilt sensors. In addition,the joystick controller 1130 may include one or more light sources 1134,such as light emitting diodes (LEDs). The light sources 1134 may be usedto distinguish one controller from the other.

The processor 1101 may use inertial signals from the inertial sensors1132 in conjunction with optical signals from light sources 1034detected by an image capture unit to deduce information on the locationand/or orientation of the controller 1030 and/or its user.

The controller add-on device 1140 couples to the controller 1130 throughan interface port on the controller (not shown). The controller add-ondevice may communicate with the controller 1130 and the game console1100 through I/O functions 1141, which are coupled to the communicationinterface. The controller add-on device may comprise a processor 1142and memory 1143 as well as a display 1144 and a user interface 1145. Theuser interface may comprise a plurality buttons for example a leftbutton a right button and a touch screen or mechanical button associatedtherewith. The memory 1143 may contain programs 1146 which when carriedout by the processor 1142 cause the controller add-on device to enactmethods for entering a button mapping pre-set 1147, e.g., as shown FIG.9 or the method for switching button mapping pre-sets, e.g., as shown inFIG. 10. The programs 1146 may also enact a button-mapping scheme forthe plurality of buttons in the user interface 1145. The I/O functions1141 may contain various connectors and ports to connect the controlleradd-on device 1140 to the controller and communicate with the controller1130 and the system 1100. The I/O 1140 for example and withoutlimitation may comprise a 3.5 mm audio jack, a serial connector, and a3.5 mm audio port. In some embodiments and without limitation I/O maypass audio signals from the 3.5 mm audio through to the 3.5 mm audioport. Additionally in some embodiments, the controller add-on devicealso comprises a serial port and the I/O functions to receive signalsfrom the serial port and pass the signals through to the gamecontroller.

In the interest of clarity, not all of the routine features of theimplementations described herein are shown and described. It will beunderstood by those skilled in the art that in the development of anysuch implementations, numerous implementation-specific decisions must bemade in order to achieve the developer's specific goals, such ascompliance with application- and business-related constraints, and thatthese specific goals will vary from one implementation to another andfrom one developer to another. Moreover, it will be appreciated thatsuch a development effort might be complex and time-consuming, but wouldnevertheless be a routine undertaking of engineering for those ofordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the present disclosure.

In accordance with aspects of the present disclosure, the components,process steps, and/or data structures may be implemented using varioustypes of operating systems; computing platforms; userinterfaces/displays, including personal or laptop computers, video gameconsoles, PDAs and other handheld devices, such as cellular telephones,tablet computers, portable gaming devices; and/or general purposemachines. In addition, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognizethat devices of a less general purpose nature, such as hardwireddevices, field programmable gate arrays (FOGs), application specificintegrated circuits (ASICs), or the like, may also be used withoutdeparting from the scope and spirit of the inventive concepts disclosedherein.

While the above is a complete description of the preferred embodimentsof the present invention, it is possible to use various alternatives,modifications, and equivalents. Therefore, the scope of the presentinvention should be determined not with reference to the abovedescription but should, instead, be determined with reference to theappended claims, along with their full scope of equivalents. Anyfeature, whether preferred or not, may be combined with any otherfeature, whether preferred or not. In the claims that follow, theindefinite article “A” or “An” refers to a quantity of one or more ofthe item following the article, except where expressly stated otherwise.The appended claims are not to be interpreted as includingmeans-plus-function limitations, unless such a limitation is explicitlyrecited in a given claim using the phrase “means for”. Any element in aclaim that does not explicitly state “means for” performing a specifiedfunction, is not to be interpreted as a “means” or “step” clause asspecified in 35 USC § 112, ¶ 6.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for providing customized button mappingpre-sets, comprising: receiving an add-on pre-set customization modeentry input; entering the add-on pre-set customization mode; receiving abutton mapping for a plurality of buttons in a selected pre-set whereinthe button mapping indicates the selected preset is to be hidden duringa switching operation; exiting the add-on pre-set customization mode;saving the button mapping for the selected pre-set to a pre-set list;receiving a switching operation input; switching from a first pre-set onthe pre-set list to a second pre-set on the pre-set list and skippingover the selected pre-set during the switching operation.
 2. The methodof claim 1 further comprising receiving an activation of one of theplurality of buttons and sending an input to the game controllercorresponding to the button mapping of the second pre-set for the one ofthe plurality of buttons.
 3. The method of claim 1 wherein the pre-setlist contains a plurality of pre-sets.
 4. The method of claim 1 furthercomprising displaying the first and second pre-sets on a display screenand hiding the selected preset during the switching operation.
 5. Themethod of claim 4 wherein the display screen is a touch screen andswitching operation is a touch screen, touch input.
 6. The method ofclaim 4 wherein the display screen is a touch screen, wherein the add-onpre-set customization mode entry input is a touch screen, touch inputand wherein the button mapping is selected using an activation of one ofthe plurality of buttons.
 7. The method of claim 1 wherein the buttonmapping in the selected pre-set maps every button in the plurality ofbuttons to a null or empty button.
 8. The method of claim 1 wherein aselection box indicates that the selected pre-set is hidden during theswitching operation.
 9. The method of claim 1 wherein each pre-set inthe pre-set has a defined button mapping and where a button mapping forat least one pre-set in the pre-set list maps an activation of at leastone of the plurality of buttons to a game controller input activation.